MAKKAH: The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has completed its preparations to receive male and female worshippers for I’tikaaf at the basement of the King Fahd Expansion. As per procedures supervised by the Service Unit, deputy president for the presidency, Sheikh Badr bin Abdullah Al-Furaih, said worshippers will enter through King Fahd Gate 73, which will lead them to the basement. Each will get a locker to store their belongings, but the presidency would not be responsible for any lost items, he added. Essam Al-Saghir, director of the Service Unit, said it had set a date to give I’tikaaf permits to worshippers from the 17th day of Ramadan through the service booth located in front of King Abdullah Gate 119 in the western courtyards of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Ahmed Al-Halabi, an author specializing in Hajj and Umrah affairs, said that Muslims from all over the world come to the Grand Mosque during Ramadan to perform I’tikaaf, especially during the last 10 days of the holy month. FAST FACT As per procedures supervised by the Service Unit, deputy president for the presidency, Sheikh Badr bin Abdullah Al-Furaih, said worshippers will enter through King Fahd Gate 73, which will lead them to the basement. During I’tikaaf, the worshipper stays in solitude, but families can still visit worshippers in the mosque. Al-Halabi added: “During the past two years, I’tikaaf in the Two Holy Mosques was not allowed amid the coronavirus pandemic. This year, special procedures are applied; worshippers need to log into the presidency’s website, choose their preferred language, and attach a copy of their ID card, in order to be able to submit a request for I’tikaaf permits. “A service booth has been set up to follow up the affairs of worshippers in front of King Abdullah Gate 119 in the western courtyards of the Grand Mosque.”